In West Virginia, residents are now able to apply to the agriculture commissioner for a license to grow industrial hemp for commercial purposes.
Morgan Leach, president of the West Virginia Hemp Industries Association and executive director of the West Virginia Farmers Cooperative, says research institutions in the state already hold 14 licenses, accounting for 30 acres of hemp crop in 11 counties. The new application process will clear independent growers for hemp cultivation.
Leach tells the Weirton Daily Times that industrial hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive component of its better-known cousin marijuana, and can be used to produce foods, oils, and fibers. Cannabidiol from hemp is also being studied for treatment of anxiety and epilepsy, among other disorders.
David Hawkins, who owns a natural foods store that carries hemp-based products, says hemp cultivation could be a boon for West Virginia. “Our economy is in trouble. We have this huge budget deficit, we have the decline of coal, all these severance taxes are down, you have counties that are struggling, they’ve lost 30 percent of their job base, or more, in a year. It’s really hard to rebound from that,” Leach said. “If we can bring something in like hemp, to help produce commodity items like food and these supplements and different things we use every day, that can really help us climb out of the hole here.”